diff --git a/lite2/client_benchmark_test.go b/lite2/client_benchmark_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..823ff1156
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lite2/client_benchmark_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+package lite
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/libs/log"
+	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/lite2/provider"
+	mockp "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/lite2/provider/mock"
+	dbs "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/lite2/store/db"
+	dbm "github.com/tendermint/tm-db"
+)
+
+// NOTE: block is produced every minute. Make sure the verification time
+// provided in the function call is correct for the size of the blockchain. The
+// benchmarking may take some time hence it can be more useful to set the time
+// or the amount of iterations use the flag -benchtime t -> i.e. -benchtime 5m
+// or -benchtime 100x.
+//
+// Remember that none of these benchmarks account for network latency.
+var (
+	largeFullNode    = mockp.New(GenMockNode(chainID, 1000, 100, 1, bTime))
+	genesisHeader, _ = largeFullNode.SignedHeader(1)
+)
+
+func BenchmarkSequence(b *testing.B) {
+	c, err := NewClient(
+		chainID,
+		TrustOptions{
+			Period: 24 * time.Hour,
+			Height: 1,
+			Hash:   genesisHeader.Hash(),
+		},
+		largeFullNode,
+		[]provider.Provider{largeFullNode},
+		dbs.New(dbm.NewMemDB(), chainID),
+		Logger(log.TestingLogger()),
+		SequentialVerification(),
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		b.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	b.ResetTimer()
+
+	for n := 0; n < b.N; n++ {
+		_, err = c.VerifyHeaderAtHeight(1000, bTime.Add(1000*time.Minute))
+		if err != nil {
+			b.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func BenchmarkBisection(b *testing.B) {
+	c, err := NewClient(
+		chainID,
+		TrustOptions{
+			Period: 24 * time.Hour,
+			Height: 1,
+			Hash:   genesisHeader.Hash(),
+		},
+		largeFullNode,
+		[]provider.Provider{largeFullNode},
+		dbs.New(dbm.NewMemDB(), chainID),
+		Logger(log.TestingLogger()),
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		b.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	b.ResetTimer()
+
+	for n := 0; n < b.N; n++ {
+		_, err = c.VerifyHeaderAtHeight(1000, bTime.Add(1000*time.Minute))
+		if err != nil {
+			b.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func BenchmarkBackwards(b *testing.B) {
+	trustedHeader, _ := largeFullNode.SignedHeader(0)
+	c, err := NewClient(
+		chainID,
+		TrustOptions{
+			Period: 24 * time.Hour,
+			Height: trustedHeader.Height,
+			Hash:   trustedHeader.Hash(),
+		},
+		largeFullNode,
+		[]provider.Provider{largeFullNode},
+		dbs.New(dbm.NewMemDB(), chainID),
+		Logger(log.TestingLogger()),
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		b.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	b.ResetTimer()
+
+	for n := 0; n < b.N; n++ {
+		_, err = c.VerifyHeaderAtHeight(1, bTime)
+		if err != nil {
+			b.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/lite2/test_helpers.go b/lite2/test_helpers.go
index cc1bf4eb9..504e9569e 100644
--- a/lite2/test_helpers.go
+++ b/lite2/test_helpers.go
@@ -160,3 +160,61 @@ func (pkz privKeys) GenSignedHeaderLastBlockID(chainID string, height int64, bTi
 		Commit: pkz.signHeader(header, first, last),
 	}
 }
+
+func (pkz privKeys) ChangeKeys(delta int) privKeys {
+	newKeys := pkz[delta:]
+	return newKeys.Extend(delta)
+}
+
+// Generates the header and validator set to create a full entire mock node with blocks to height (
+// blockSize) and with variation in validator sets. BlockIntervals are in per minute.
+// NOTE: Expected to have a large validator set size ~ 100 validators.
+func GenMockNode(
+	chainID string,
+	blockSize int64,
+	valSize int,
+	valVariation float32,
+	bTime time.Time) (
+	string,
+	map[int64]*types.SignedHeader,
+	map[int64]*types.ValidatorSet) {
+
+	var (
+		headers         = make(map[int64]*types.SignedHeader, blockSize)
+		valset          = make(map[int64]*types.ValidatorSet, blockSize)
+		keys            = genPrivKeys(valSize)
+		totalVariation  = valVariation
+		valVariationInt int
+		newKeys         privKeys
+	)
+
+	valVariationInt = int(totalVariation)
+	totalVariation = -float32(valVariationInt)
+	newKeys = keys.ChangeKeys(valVariationInt)
+
+	// genesis header and vals
+	lastHeader := keys.GenSignedHeader(chainID, 1, bTime.Add(1*time.Minute), nil,
+		keys.ToValidators(2, 2), newKeys.ToValidators(2, 2), []byte("app_hash"), []byte("cons_hash"),
+		[]byte("results_hash"), 0, len(keys))
+	currentHeader := lastHeader
+	headers[1] = currentHeader
+	valset[1] = keys.ToValidators(2, 2)
+	keys = newKeys
+
+	for height := int64(2); height <= blockSize; height++ {
+		totalVariation += valVariation
+		valVariationInt = int(totalVariation)
+		totalVariation = -float32(valVariationInt)
+		newKeys = keys.ChangeKeys(valVariationInt)
+		currentHeader = keys.GenSignedHeaderLastBlockID(chainID, height, bTime.Add(time.Duration(height)*time.Minute),
+			nil,
+			keys.ToValidators(2, 2), newKeys.ToValidators(2, 2), []byte("app_hash"), []byte("cons_hash"),
+			[]byte("results_hash"), 0, len(keys), types.BlockID{Hash: lastHeader.Hash()})
+		headers[height] = currentHeader
+		valset[height] = keys.ToValidators(2, 2)
+		lastHeader = currentHeader
+		keys = newKeys
+	}
+
+	return chainID, headers, valset
+}
diff --git a/lite2/verifier.go b/lite2/verifier.go
index 6d8459ab6..422e0398e 100644
--- a/lite2/verifier.go
+++ b/lite2/verifier.go
@@ -174,9 +174,10 @@ func verifyNewHeaderAndVals(
 	}
 
 	if !bytes.Equal(untrustedHeader.ValidatorsHash, untrustedVals.Hash()) {
-		return errors.Errorf("expected new header validators (%X) to match those that were supplied (%X)",
+		return errors.Errorf("expected new header validators (%X) to match those that were supplied (%X) at height %d",
 			untrustedHeader.ValidatorsHash,
 			untrustedVals.Hash(),
+			untrustedHeader.Height,
 		)
 	}